6 June 2017

Urgent: Democracy Reform absent from election debate!!


EDITORS, JOURNALISTS, BLOGGERS, MULTIPLIERS ALL!

Urgently needed Democracy Reform absent from election debate!!

For the General Election it's not quite too late to run a feature or spread the word about the need and very popular citizens' desire for more effective democracy in the UK. Our democracy deficits plus the vague and just-too-flexible state constitution are minor issues or absent from the manifesti of the major parties.

Please consider running a piece about our Election Call 2017 (below) or a presentation of our Campaign for Direct Democracy GB : more at http://www.iniref.org

Regards,
Michael for
iniref.org
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people take control


Find the candidates in your area with the help of DEMOCRACY CLUB

voters control

Election June 2017

we can

TAKE BACK CONTROL

BY CLAIMING OUR ACTIVE POLITICAL RIGHTS TO
CITIZENS' DIRECT DEMOCRACY

Write or talk to parliamentary candidates and ask them to support the introduction of citizen launched referendum. For this, Parliament must pass a new Democracy and Political Rights Act.

Find the candidates in your area with the help of DEMOCRACY CLUB https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk

As things stand, our political rights are so WEAK that we clearly do NOT HAVE CONTROL of our own affairs and of our political representatives (MPs), Parliament and government. Having a referendum from time to time does not help much. Only Parliament, which has always followed the will of government on this, can set the question and decree that a ballot shall be held. The result, the will of the people, is regarded as only advisory, not legally binding on Parliament and government.

For the vast majority of people our political rights are LIMITED to casting a vote once every five years for a politician and political party.

What can be done to improve all of this? The people, the electorate, voters must be enabled to select, debate and decide by ballot on public issues, in addition to electing politicians who then make law and govern for us. We must add the methods of direct democracy to the existing indirect "representative" rule by party bosses, supposedly "checked and balanced" by Parliament.

The new Democracy and Political Rights Bill to be put before Parliament should contain:

Citizens' Initiative or Law Proposal
With the "initiative" a citizen or group has the right to put forward a proposal to introduce, change or veto law. In order that a proposal will be put to the electorate (in a "referendum" or "ballot") an agreed number of endorsements ("signatures") must be collected and validated.

Legally binding referendum launched by voters
If the required number of endorsements is obtained as above, there are two ways to proceed:
1. The proposal is put to the electorate in a referendum.
2. The proposal is first presented to parliament or local council, which must debate it. Parliament or council may adopt the proposal and pass it as law. Proposals which are rejected must be put to the electorate in a referendum. If a majority of the electorate votes for the proposal then it becomes law.


WHAT YOU CAN DO

Register as a voter early or check that you are still on the electoral roll.

Find the candidates in your area with the help of DEMOCRACY CLUB https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk

Approach candidates and sitting MPs  (see guide on linked page) and ask them to support the introduction of more direct democracy as described above. Invite them to sign our STATEMENT ON DEMOCRACY see linked page. Suggest that they publicise this STATEMENT ON DEMOCRACY and place a signed copy on their own web site ;-)

ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL RIGHTS strategy pages
FRAME ONE Setting the scene
FRAME TWO
The election-campaign plan-of-action
MPs and CANDIDATES HOW TO CONTACT


Feedback: Please let the volunteers at I&R ~ GB Campaign for Direct Democracy know about your experience and the reactions of the politicians: E-mail info@iniref.org  Twitter @yourballot 

Find our more about direct democracy via www.iniref.org

Pass on this appeal
INTERNET http://www.iniref.org/control+election2017.html
PDF to spread or print http://www.iniref.org/control+election2017.pdf
E-mail – forward this appeal to your contacts


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